As collegiettes, we are driven, ambitious, and motivated to succeed. From our dream careers to the chic locals we hope to travel to- we just can’t get enough of thinking about our future. As fun and exciting as this may be (and although we may think we have everything figured out) there’s nothing better than learning from successful women who have once been in our positions and have come out strong, powerful, and inspirational in their careers and lives.
Day 1 of the Her Campus Her Conference 2015, welcomed collegiettes from various HC Chapters to get inspired by listening to a panel of career oriented speakers. In one day, attendees learned the 3 best-kept life and career secrets from Neha Gandhi, the Vice President of Editorial Strategy at Refinery 29, and Michelle Tan, the Editor- in- Chief of Seventeen.
Best Kept Secret #1: There’s More To Life Than Your CareerNeha opened this discussion by saying, “Your job can’t be solely responsible for your happiness.” She highlighted the fact that you should always be committed to your career and your passion but, at the same time, you cannot rely on those things as your one source of fulfillment. As collegiettes we must strive to find balance in everything that we do and want to do in the future. Life has so much to offer as Neha highlights that, “You can come up with your best ideas through experience.”
Best Kept Secret #2: We Don’t Know Our Life’s Path and That’s Okay!Every collegiette has been faced with the stress, anxiety, fear, and excitement that come along with thinking about their future plans and life after graduation. Although we have all heard it many times before, even Michelle from Seventeen expresses that, “We have to accept the idea that we are all going to fail a little.” Michelle reminds us that these ups and downs we all experience, “is not a vicious cycle, but a victory cycle.” Ultimately, through both our failures and triumphs we can all come out stronger.
Best Kept Secret #3: Your Attitude Is EverythingFrom waking up on the wrong side of the bed to bad hair days and all of the friend and relationship drama in between- as collegiettes we are no strangers to tough situations. At the same time though, when it comes to our lives and our careers, we are ultimately in control of how we handle situations and the attitude that we carry with us and lead by. It’s okay to not know where you are headed in life, but it’s not okay to move forward with an attitude of entitlement. Neha expresses this point by advising that, “You should never walk into a life or career situations saying ‘I deserve this,’ but instead, ‘I earned this.” Michelle adds to this point by saying that, “You have to trust what got you [to your career].” Both inspirational speakers closed this point by emphasizing how hard work will forever pay off but that taking that work and success for granted will never bring you far.
Although this advice may seem like common sense, both Neha and Michelle express how overlooked the simple things can be when we, as collegiettes, are searching for answers. Above all, both amazing speakers ended their speeches by inspiring us collegiettes, as young female adults, to follow our passions. What we want for our futures, we have to work hard for. At the end of the day, we should always remember that no matter what we want to do- we don’t have to start in the career or place that we want to end up. Life is filled with immeasurable opportunities and chances, and we have the power to make our lives what we want them to be.